


Time Apart

by thequietcanadian



Series: Stories of the Seasons [5]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Angst, F/M, Ficlet, Hurt No Comfort, Immortals, M/M, Seasonal Spirits and Guardians, Short, Spirits, no Clover this time but he'll be back!, seasonal spirit au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:41:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28331802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thequietcanadian/pseuds/thequietcanadian
Summary: its the first time in nearly a year that Qrow and Clover have been apart. the first time in a year that he is seeing his quartet again. it is the first time in nearly a year that a aching loneliness returns to him
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi, Summer Rose/Taiyang Xiao Long
Series: Stories of the Seasons [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1985941
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	Time Apart

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas! please enjoy this addition to the Stories of Seasons and don't worry Clover will be in the next one I promise! if you have time please leave a review I always love seeing them! stay safe and healthy you guys!

Uncle Qrow!” Qrow has just enough time after he lands to brace himself before a whirlwind knocks him off his feet, his niece snuggling into his chest as he tries to breath. He hears his niece giggle from his chest and can’t help letting his magic spread out around them and bloom a array of bright red flowers. Qrow blinks his eyes open as she gasps clapping her hands excitedly as she looks at the meadow around them.

“Hiya Ruby” the little girl grins at him from ear to ear bouncing on his chest as she begins to excitedly babble at him, carefully Qrow scoops her into his arms and stands evaluating the area around them. He’d landed a fair ways off from the house and yet his niece some how always knew when he’d arrived.

“And then papa tried to cut Yang’s hair and” Ruby giggled for a moment lost in the memory.

“And then she got really mad and broke the table” Qrow pet her hair as she talked, walking back to the small cabin located in the woods of Patch. The log cabin was fairly small, and deep enough in the woods that the mortals were unlikely to find it. Even if they did however, it was magicked to hide it, keeping prying eyes out.

Qrow stepped out of the woods and walked the path through the growing sunflowers. A warm breeze passed through, rustling the flowers around them. Qrow paid it no mind as he walked the winding path towards the house, Ruby pointing to all the different flowers and telling Qrow their names.

“Ruby!” Summer arrived in a whirl wind of petals, taking her from Qrow’s arms in an instant. Qrow tried not to let the hurt show on his expression at the loss of contact as Summer fussed over her youngest daughter.

“How many times have I told you not to run off!” Summer scowled her as they made their way to the front door, Qrow’s hands shoved into his pockets and shoulders hunched.

He’d been away from his quartet for nearly a year, a year filled with Clover, but both of them couldn’t ignore their kin for longer than that. His quartet would get suspicious he knew if he was gone for much longer, and Clover knew the General required he see him at least once a year. So reluctantly the two parted, promising to meet within the forever fall forest in two weeks time. Already Qrow felt the loss of the fledglings presence. The magic around him now didn’t bring as much spark as much joy and Qrow hated it. Clover made him feel like he belonged too, like he wasn’t forever cursed to roam alone. He didn’t feel unwanted with Clover instead the fledgling demanded his attention asking questions seeking affection. It had been a breath of fresh air from what his existence had been. It was the first time he’d felt alive in nearly a hundred years. Returning to his quartet this time around… it felt different. As Qrow walked through the door he already felt like he didn’t belong in the domestic feel of the home.

“Tai’s out on the outskirts today helping with the fall harvest should be back by tonight” Summer yelled from the living room, Ruby sat in a corner on a time out a pout on her face.

“Uncle Qrow” He felt rather than saw his other niece jump onto his back. Nearly sending him sprawling forward.

“You’re back! You’ve been gone for sooo long!” Qrow smiled at the girl, as he piggy backed her to the living room. Summer stared on disapprovingly until Qrow placed her down on the couch/

“Been busy firecracker, storms to bring crops to help and all that” Yang bounced into his lap, excited energy making his own magic rise to the surface. He squashed it down for the moment.

“I want to do that too!” Yang yelled as Summer looked on a warning look passing over her face. Qrow shifted uncomfortably in his spot on the couch.

“Me too, me too!” Ruby added before Summer shushed her adding more time to her punishment.

“Yeah, well maybe when your older firecracker” Qrow knew by Summers expression that it would never happen, she didn’t trust Qrow enough for that. Not anymore. They’d trusted him once, maybe even had loved him, but not anymore. Not since the spirit worlds rumors had poisoned his family to him, they tolerated him due to their shared magic but that was all, it no longer went further than that.

“How’s the wider world Qrow?” Summers voice was passively pleasant, holding just enough interest to make her question seem believably interested. Qrow knew better though, knew when Summer cared, truly cared her magic would surge out wind wrap around them in excitement. It hadn’t done that for him in years and it made him ache.

“Same old, Same old Sum” Summer hummed quietly, not bothering to continue the conversation and Qrow swallowed uncomfortably. He’d been here for only several minutes but already he wished to leave, wished he could be back with Clover. Trying to move his thoughts away from the fledgling instead he focused in on his nieces.

“How’s their elements coming along?” Qrow asked reaching for the cup of tea left on the small table. A small wind seemed to blaze in a moment before settling a genuine smile gracing her lips.

“Ruby’s taken to spring magic fairly quickly, and well I guess you saw the wind with her earlier” Qrow hadn’t but recalling the way in which Ruby had just appeared made more sense.

“Yang’s taken to the summer and seems to have a perchance for setting things on fire” Summer gestured to the yellow curtains in the window, where the bottoms were scorch marked. Qrow got lost in her ramblings of his nieces, Ruby curling up to his vessel a short while later, while Yang slowly began to fall asleep on his lap, head resting on his knees.

The room grew dark as the sunset, and cautiously Qrow sent out small sparks of his Summer magic to create some light in the living room. Summer didn’t seem to notice for a time, excitedly speaking about how Raven had come to visit not to long ago. Qrow smiled softly at her animated speech hands running through his nieces hair soothingly.

“Qrow” Qrow looked to see Tai standing in the entry way a neutral expression on his face as he stared into the room. Immediately the room seemed to dim as Qrow’s defences came back up the comfortable atmosphere dissipating.

“Hi Tai” Tai didn’t move for a moment, before glancing at the light around them, eyebrow raised. Qrow immediately let his magic drop the room going dark for a moment before Tai’s own summer magic filled the room.

“Try to reframe from using your magic when you have my daughters next to you Qrow. We don’t know how it could react” Qrow nods looking away to try and hide the hurt on his face. He’d never hurt them, would never even attempt stronger magic with them so close because they were the only thing that allowed him to come back here.

“Sorry” Qrow mumbled in to the stifling atmosphere.

“Why don’t I put them to bed, Qrow the guest bedrooms all yours” Qrow nods as Summer lifts Yang into her arms. Hesitantly Qrow does the same with Ruby moving to take her to bed, before he retires for the evening. Tai stops him.

“give her to me” Qrow doesn’t stop Tai from pulling her from his arms, watches as he cradles her in his strong arms. He stands their as the two disappear into the darkness of the hallway and Qrow feels the loneliness he hadn’t felt in nearly a year seep back into his being. He retreats to his room hoping that sleep with capture him and allow him peace even for a few hours. It doesn’t come, instead he listens to the creak of the floor boards from the upper floor as Tai paces. His voices echos through the wood.

“A year Sum” He doesn’t hear the rest as its cut off by a particularly loud squeak.

“Not once did he bother” Qrow shoves the pillow under his head to try to muffle the sound, to see their act of them disliking him was one thing, to hear it was something else entirely.

“He could have been busy Tai” Qrow hears something hit the floor and shatter, and Qrow can’t help the small whimper leaves his mouth. Eyes slamming shut to try and block it out.

“With what!” Two weeks he reminds himself. He’ll stay for only two weeks and not a day longer. At the end of it Clover will be waiting for him, smile like the sun and eyes shining like sea glass. He just had to get through these two weeks.

“Uncle Qrow?” Qrow peaks his head out from the pillow he’s hiding under, Yang and Ruby standing in the doorway.

“Can we stay here?” Yang rubbed sleep from her eyes as she asked a small stuffed bunny in her hands. He knows he should say no but the tears on Ruby’s face and Yang’s hopeful expression has him saying other wise.

“They’re loud when they fight” Yang says as she snuggles into his arm and Qrow hums in acknowledgment, when they had been much younger the fighting had been worse.

“Get some sleep kiddo”

Qrow spends the first few days playing with his nieces showing them his magic as they ohh and ahh at what he can do. It goes well for the most part, but the way Summer and Tai watch him makes him uncomfortable, and the few sparks of accidental magic has them running for their daughters, even though Qrow has ensured he’s far enough away where it wouldn’t hurt them even if he did unleash. Tai glowers at him as he moves through out the house and Summer seems to find any excuse to make small talk, going in circles until wearily Qrow knows he’s heard the same story no less than ten times for that day. They keep him at a distance, and it hurts but he doesn’t bother saying anything because it doesn’t matter, it won’t change anything.

He doesn’t stay the two weeks as he’d planned. Instead, he leaves a week early, the ache of loneliness becoming unbearable as the days press on and he does not wish to endanger his nieces. They didn’t need to know what he was so soon. Cursed, damaged defective, No he’d rather they still like his company for a time longer. So instead, he heads for the forever fall forest early. Leaving a note on the bed side table as he sneaks out of the house before the sun has risen.

He is not their when Ruby wails in sadness or how Yang’s hair blazes in hurt. Isn’t there when Summer sites unmoving on the love seat in the living room tears silently trail down her face. He is not their to see the devastation written across Tai’s face as he reads and rereads Qrow’s note, unsure how long ago they’d convinced him he no longer belonged.

 _I’m sorry for intruding, I’ll… try to come less often -Qrow._ His quartet knows they need to fix this, needs him to know they still care… they just don’t know how.


End file.
